Reading, Penn. – June 3, 2015 – Margaret McIntosh of
Reading , Penn. and her horse Rio Rio completed a successful European
competition trip. McIntosh is the 2014 U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage
Reserve National Champion and a Grade Ia Para-Dressage athlete. McIntosh
traveled to Waregem, Belgium April 24-26, 2015, to ride in the
International Para-Equestrian Dressage Competition CPEDI3*. The event
was held at the Bloso Sportcentrum “Gaverbeerk” in Waregem. McIntosh
then traveled to Mannheim, Germany May 1-5, for the MaiMarkt ( May
Market) Horse Show CPEDI3*. For McIntosh this European trip was an
opportunity to showcase her horse Rio Rio in front of multiple FEI
Para-Dressage judges. It was also a chance to gain show miles and
expertise while riding against the best Para-Dressage athletes in the
world. McIntosh earned her horse and rider combination Certificate of
Capability for the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Equestrian Team Selection Trials
while competing overseas. McIntosh was accompanied by her coach Missy
Ransehousen who was the former U.S. Chef d’Equipe for the Para-Dressage
Team.

Waregem was the first competition stop where McIntosh competed at the
expansive grounds of the Waregem riding school. McIntosh and Rio Rio
were consistent earning a second place finish in the Individual, Team,
and Freestyle Tests. McIntosh took the judges remarks and headed over to
Mannheim, Germany where the electrifying atmosphere of the large
equestrian venue was no issue for the Rheinland Pfalz-Saar. The first
day at Mannheim was cold and rainy for the Team Test and the duo
completed a sluggish but correct Grade Ia Test. The second day McIntosh
picked up the pace and earned a 70.1%. McIntosh maintained Rio Rio’s
pace on the final day and earned a 74% third place finish in the
Freestyle, behind World Equestrian Games’ medal winners Sara Morganti
with an 80% and Elke Philips with a 75%.

McIntosh commented, “While Rio’s relaxed attitude can be an
advantage, at the beginning of our tour we struggled with the judges
requests for more energy and more activity. Missy Ransehousen, my coach
and Rachel Gross, my warm-up rider, helped me channel the maximum amount
of energy into her dressage tests.”

McIntosh’s scores abroad earned her a horse and rider combination
Certificate of Capability for the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Equestrian Team
Selection Trials held in 2016. McIntosh has also qualified for the 2015
USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship held October
29-November 1, 2015, at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy,
TX.

McIntosh concluded, “We accomplished our goal for the trip by showing
the European judges that Rio Rio could be competitive with the best
European horses, including medal winners from last year’s World
Equestrian Games”

Following McIntosh fellow U.S. Para-Dressage athletes Rebecca Hart,
Annie Peavy, and Debbie Stanitski head to Europe this June to compete in
the 2015 CPEDI3* Somma Lombardo (ITA) June 11-14, and the 2015 CPEDI3*
Mulhouse (FRA) June 18-21.

Eventers Honor Seema Sonnad with a Sea of Purple

Eventers at this past weekend’s Plantation Field Horse Trials donned
purple to honor the memory of rider, owner, mentor and volunteer Seema
Sonnad, who passed away suddenly last month.
The event was made all the more emotional for Missy Ransehousen, who
rode Seema’s OTTB, VS Pass Play, in the Open Preliminary division.

Seema, who boarded and trained with the Ransehousens at Blue Hill
Farm in Unionville, Pennsylvania, had planned for “Keegan” to compete
with Missy at both Fair Hill’s May horse trials and Plantation Field’s
June horse trials to aid in her goal of competing in a one-star later
this year.

“The funny part is that Seema had joked with me and told me that I
needed to knock a few points off of his dressage score, and he scored a
28 this weekend; he usually scores in the high 30s, Missy said.

“Dressage is not his strongest phase, but he’s an excellent jumper. He
did such a phenomenal job with Seema; he really took great care of her.”

Photo courtesy of Lisa Thomas.

Missy does not have any immediate plans to compete Keegan again, but
she has enjoyed keeping him in work and seeing the outpouring of support
and love for Seema at Plantation Field.

“It was really great to see people chipping in with the purple and
having a good time,” she said. “I think any time that you ride a horse
for someone who has passed away, it’s emotional in a sense that you want
to fulfill what they felt the horse deserved.”

Plans are being made to plant a tree in Seema’s honor overlooking the
cross country course at Plantation Field, a fitting tribute to someone
who volunteered and competed at the venue for many years.

Plantation Goes Purple For Seema Sonnad

The eventing community came
together on the weekend of June 6 to honor Seema Sonnad, an event rider,
volunteer, mentor and beloved friend to many who passed away
unexpectedly on May 27. Plantation Field Horse Trials (Pa.) invited
everyone at their June Horse Trials to wear her favorite color, purple,
in remembrance.

Organizers, staff, volunteers and competitors
alike turned out in purple, and those that didn’t picked up a ribbon
from the secretary’s office to wear. Eventers across the country joined
in as well, sporting purple at their competitions over the weekend even
if they weren’t at Plantation.
Sonnad brought her off-the-track
Thoroughbred, VS Pass Play, from the beginner novice level to
preliminary in the three years she’d had him. When she wasn’t competing,
Sonnad could usually be spotted with sunglasses on and clipboard in
hand, ready to help in whatever way was needed. Last weekend, volunteers
came out in droves, honoring Seema’s memory by taking on the tasks that
she did selflessly for years.

“She was always been willing to
help because she knows that’s what keeps the wheel rolling,” said Denis
Glaccum, the founder of Plantation Field Equestrian Events, Inc. “She
symbolized the type of person that we need to attract to and keep
involved in eventing if eventing is going to survive because you cannot
do it without people willing to volunteer and take on whatever job.”

Cindy
Gilbert volunteers at Plantation every year, but was joined by a even
bigger group of people from her Harvest View Stables in Manheim, Pa.,
than usual.
“We loved to be able to do something to honor Seema,”
said Gilbert, who had known Sonnad through her work at Plantation and
at the Fair Hill International Horse Trials (Md.) as well as through
their mutual trainer, Missy Ransehousen. “She was such a fixture in the
eventing community and was always, if not on course, helping out at
events. I thought that it was really great that this was a way that we
could all show our support.”

Missy
Ransehousen, who trained Sonnad, rode Sonnad’s Thoroughbred gelding VS
Pass Play, or “Keegan” in the open preliminary, division A on Saturday.

“I
had planned to ride him; she and I had discussed the schedule before
she had passed away,” said Ransehousen. ”It’s funny, when she first
asked me to ride the horse, she was like, ‘Oh, well hopefully you can
knock some points off of his dressage test.’ He’s a fabulous jumper, but
he’s not always the best on the flat, and this weekend I did it for
her. I got a 28 in dressage, so that was really special, and when I saw
that score, I was like, ‘This is for you Seema, this is for you.’”

Missy Ransehousen on VS Pass Play at Plantation, wearing purple and with purple braids to honor late owner Seema Sonnad.

Ransehousen
and a group of other riders who had been directly connected to Sonnad
wore purple for all three phases while many other competitors changed
into their purple attire for cross-country and show jumping. Gilbert,
who volunteered as a cross-country fence judge last weekend, said that
more than half of the riders that galloped past were also sporting
Sonnad’s favorite color.

“Looking out
into the field you saw a lot of purple, which was wonderful,” said
Ransehousen. “It’s amazing how many lives Seema has touched and the
following that she had with everyone dressed in purple to honor her.”